Thunderstorms
by FieryArtemis
Summary: Marinette's boyfriend can't help some of the things he does. Some of them are cute. Others… well Marinette would appreciate them more if she wasn't so tired and didn't have class in the morning. A little established relationship fluff!


**A/N:** Let me just start by saying that I hate this title. Sadly, I couldn't think of anything better that fit. Standard warnings apply. Probably a little out of character (but getting better as more episodes come out) and AU-y (but maybe not).

* * *

Ladybug brushed her hair out of her face. It didn't work very well. "Wind's picking up." she complained as she looked over at Chat Noir.

He too was also having issues with his hair. However, he didn't seem as concerned. "Air pressure's dropped too. We're in for a storm." he told her, "And soon too."

"I know, I can smell it." Ladybug said as she made a face. Chat Noir turned to look at her with a broad grin on his face.

"You can _smell_ it?" he repeated in a playful tease.

Ladybug glared at him. "You know what I mean."

"I thought I was supposed to be the cat in this relationship."

"Oh shut up you." Ladybug told him. She rolled her eyes and he laughed. "We better call it a night. I don't want to get rained on."

"Yeah me neither. Instinct is telling me that we probably only have about fifteen minutes before we start to get wet." Chat Noir agreed as he held his hand out to help her down off the chimney she was standing on. Ladybug took it with a smile and braced herself against him as she hopped down. Chat Noir sneaked a kiss on to her hand before she had a chance to pull away. That was her annoying feline boyfriend though. "Then I guess this is where I leave you my lady."

"Chat, your house is all the way across town." frowned Ladybug. "You'll never make it in time before the rain comes."

It was Chat Noir's turn to make a face. "If I hurry I might only be soaked through instead of sopping wet."

"Or you could come and stay the night at my house tonight." Ladybug suggested smoothly.

Chat Noir turned bright red. "I don't know Ladybug..." he said with a bit of a stammer as he tried to remember how his tongue worked. "I shouldn't..."

"Well, if you want to go back to your house and get really wet in the process Chat that's your prerogative. I won't badger you." Ladybug shrugged.

"It's just that you have class tomorrow morning and everything." Chat Noir told her quickly.

"Suit yourself my love." Ladybug gave a woeful sigh as she turned away from Chat Noir and started for her house. She paused a moment to call over her shoulder with a mischievous smile, "Did I mention that my parents are out of town for the night?"

She waited just long enough to see the absolutely flustered look on Chat Noir's face before walking away again. Three, two, one... "When you put it that way. Wait for me!" he called after her and right on cue.

Ladybug laughed. Chat Noir was at her side a moment later. One short trip over the rooftops of Paris later, they were at the balcony of her townhouse. That was round about the time that the first few drops of rain started to fall.

There was a flash of light as Marinette let her transformation go. Adrien followed a moment after. "Told you that you never would have made it." Marinette told him cheekily as she held the door open for him.

"Alright, alright. You were right. No need to rub it in Marinette." Adrien rolled his eyes. However, he stepped closer to her and brushed his hand against her cheek. Marinette felt her heart speed up as Adrien bent his head towards hers. Three years into her relationship with him and he still gave her butterflies every time he went to kiss her.

"Yuck!" Plagg groaned. "Are you gonna start with the mushy mushy stuff already? We seriously just got back from patrol."

Marinette turned bright red. There was a downside to having a constant companion and it was this. Adrien pulled away from her, just as red as she was to throw a death glare at Plagg.

"Oh leave them alone." Tikki told him primly.

"Ah c'mon Tikki. We haven't even had time to decompress and already those two are making eyes at one another. They don't even care that I'm exhausted and starving to death." wailed Plagg.

"You? Starving? That would be a first." Adrien mumbled under his breath. Marinette patted his arm.

"Plagg there's some cheese downstairs in the kitchen that I bought just for you. Tikki why don't you take him downstairs and get something to eat too." Marinette suggested kindly.

"Yes!" Plagg exclaimed as he flipped through the air. "This is why she's better than you Adrien."

"Come on Plagg. Let's leave these two alone for a bit." Tikki shot a sly wink at Marinette which only made Marinette blush harder.

"One of these days I'm going to find a way to lock him in a shoebox or something." Adrien grumbled.

Marinette stifled a giggle, "You know you love him."

"Unfortunately," sighed Adrien. Then he smiled good naturedly at her. "Is the overnight box still where you usually keep it?"

"Yep."

Adrien clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Excellent! I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"I'll try not to collapse into bed right away." Marinette told him as she bit back a yawn.

"Wouldn't blame you if you did my lady." he replied as he turned to leave for the bathroom.

Marinette waited until she heard the bathroom door to close before she started to change. The rain was coming down steadier now. Yeah, it was definitely good that she'd convinced Adrien to stay the night at her place. He'd still be out in the rain if she hadn't and the poor guy would've caught a cold. Marinette had learned early on that sick Adrien was not easy or fun to take care of.

She pulled the hair ties from her hair and set them on her desk next to the picture of her and Adrien they'd taken on their first ever 'totally not a date' date at a museum masquerade. In the bathroom she could hear Adrien shut the water from the faucet off which meant he'd found the extra toothbrush in the box. Marinette slipped on a bathrobe over her less than alluring pajamas and set the alarm on her phone.

"I borrowed your face wash." Adrien told her as he closed her bedroom door softly behind him. "I hope you don't mind."

Marinette twisted to look at him. He was dressed in the black sweatpants that she kept in the overnight box just for him and his black undershirt. His jeans and white button up slung over his shoulders. "I don't mind. Just don't use my toothbrush again. You remember what happened last time? _That_ was gross."

Adrien pouted as he threw his dirty clothes over the side of her chaise couch. "I said I was sorry. I didn't _plan_ on dropping it in the wastebasket."

She just rolled her eyes at him as she walked to his side. "Come on. It's bed time." she told him as she rubbed his arms.

He stopped pouting long enough to hold her hand. Together they tip toed up the stairs to the loft. Her bed seemed to be calling her name. This time when she yawned, Marinette didn't try to stop it. Adrien did try to cover his own yawn though. Actually Marinette was surprised that he didn't just flop down on to her bed like he had the habit of doing.

The rain outside had brought the temperature down in her bedroom drastically. However, one of the nice thing about having Adrien tucked up next to her was the warmth he put off. Marinette wiggled her back closer to his chest and pulled his arms tighter about her waist. He let out a little contented sigh and laced his fingers together in reciprocation. Marinette raised her eyebrow. "What? That's it? You aren't going to nuzzle my neck or tickle me?"

"You have class tomorrow and if my Dad finds out that I'm the reason you didn't perform at your best then he'll skin me." Adrien explained tiredly, "Can't have his precious protege fall behind y'know. Did I tell you he gave me the 'son, you're eighteen now and don't you think Marinette would make an excellent wife' spiel this morning?"

"Again?" asked Marinette.

She felt Adrien nod, "Again."

"Well it's nice to know your Dad likes me." she replied. Her heart skipped a beat or two. She and Adrien had talked about marriage but they still had all the time in the world. They didn't need to rush out and get married straight after graduating. At least that's the way Marinette and Adrien put it whenever someone asked when Adrien was going to propose. Marinette willed her heart to stop fluttering stupidly at the idea. It didn't work.

"Sometimes I feel bad. Throwing you at papa and basically saying 'I know I'm a disappointment but look at the girl I found to make up for it.'" murmured Adrien.

"He doesn't think you're a disappointment Adrien." Marinette assured him.

"Well I wasn't the one who he suggested taking on a business major too when I started my degree in Literature."

Marinette brought his fingers up to her lips and kissed them. "Adrien, I promise he doesn't think you're a disappointment."

"Thanks Marinette." Adrien mumbled before nuzzling her in the crook of her neck. That was the last thing he said before falling silent beside her with his breath evening out into light snores. Marinette figured she fell asleep soon after.

She had no clue what time it was when Adrien screamed in her ear.

"Marinette get down!"

There a loud crack that shook Marinette's entire room. That wasn't what woke her up though. No, what woke her up was Adrien latching on to her and yanking her backwards off her bed. Marinette shrieked as they fell to the floor in a tumble of sheets and flailing limbs. Marinette looked up in a panic or at least tried to. Adrien had thrown himself on top of her and seemed to be currently trying to roll them underneath her bed.

"Adrien! Slow down! What's wrong?" she demanded. There was a bright flash of lightning that lit up her room followed by another ear splitting crack of thunder. Adrien froze mid-roll and popped up over top of her. A look of confusion passed over his face as he listened to the thunderstorm outside. Then an extremely sheepish and extremely embarrassed look passed over his face.

"Oops..." he grimaced. Marinette glared at him.

"Did you pull me out of bed because the _thunder_ startled you?" she asked him icily.

"I'm part cat..." Adrien offered weakly. "Meow?"

Marinette grabbed a pillow that had fallen with them and slapped it as hard as she could with it. Adrien let out a yelp and covered his face as Marinette continued to wail on him with the pillow. "I have class in the morning!"

"Geez! If you two are going to get it on could you at least warn a couple of kwamis!" Plagg complained.

Marinette went rigid. She looked up. Adrien was stock still in his position too, straddling her torso. The pillow fell out of her hand and Marinette's blush went all the way from her feet to her ears. Adrien realized their _suggestive_ position too. He was just as red. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." he repeated in a rush as he scurried off of her. Somewhere below them both Plagg and Tikki were laughing.

"Shush Plagg. The aren't doing anything... yet." Tikki told him in mock conspiratorial whisper.

Adrien picked the pillow up from where Marinette had dropped and threw it down below at what he was probably presuming was the kwamis' heads. "I think I like your shoebox idea." whispered Marinette.

The laughing died down but Marinette still felt like she wanted to scuttle underneath her bed. She pointedly refused to make eye contact with Adrien. It was a little hard to with Tikki and Plagg's snickering still ringing in her ears. Adrien cleared his throat. Marinette looked up at him slowly. Another flash of lightning lit up his face. He scratched at the back of his neck nervously as the next crescendo of thunder fell over the room. "I'm sorry Marinette." he apologized with genuine embarrassment. He reached down, grabbed the blanket off the floor, and wrapped it around Marinette's shoulders. "Let's go back to bed, okay?"

Adrien's hand lingered on her shoulder lightly. "Yeah. That sounds good. I can't believe you pulled me out of bed because of _thunder_. I ought to beat you unconscious for it." Marinette replied.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't." Adrien smiled at her.

Marinette rocked back and pushed herself up on to her knees to bring herself up to Adrien's level. She tipped her head towards his. Marinette caught his lips and kissed him gently. Adrien jumped a little in surprise but then yielded to her. When she broke the kiss, he was breathless with his eyes half closed and looking like he wished the kiss hadn't stopped. "I'll let it slide just this once." she whispered, taking his hand and standing. "Silly cat."

Adrien fell back into bed beside her. Marinette draped the blanket over the pair of them as he grabbed a spare pillow from the other side of the bed. She wriggled up close to him and pressed her nose into his chest. In the morning, when she wasn't so tired, Marinette would find the entire incident hysterical. All she wanted for the moment was to fall back asleep. The rhythmic falling of rain and rumblings of thunder helped to lull them back asleep.


End file.
